Life, 1928-10-26 · page 6 of 40
Life — October 26, 1928 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1932 Life magazine cartoon satirizes Herbert Hoover's presidential campaign during the Great Depression. Two men examine a campaign poster promoting Hoover's promises of "a protective tariff, prosperity, and sound law enforcement." One figure sarcastically comments: "Protection an' th' same sort of enforcement we got, eh, Moe? Boy, I couldn't 've wrote it better myself!" The satire is biting: Hoover's campaign rhetoric about protection and prosperity rings hollow to struggling Americans experiencing economic collapse. The cartoon mocks the disconnect between the administration's optimistic campaign claims and the harsh economic reality voters faced. The ironic tone suggests voters view such promises as empty propaganda given the Depression's devastating effects on employment and living standards.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Your fei Tor ~ HOOVER ISA VOTE FORA ) PROTECTIVE TARIFF PROSPERITY, AND CONTINUED “Protection an’ th’ same sort of enforcement we got, eh, Moe? Boy, I couldn't ‘ve wrote it better myself!” for the less a voter knows about you the longer he is liable to vote for you. I think you will find that Campaigns have ruined more men than they ever made. Anti-Bunk Bulletin Tue weex after next it will be all over, including the shouting (for which let us arise, brethren, and give thanks). This has been a terrible campaign— probably the worst in history. If Will Rogers hadn't been around to turn the voters’ boredom and _ irritation into laughter, there is no telling what would have happened to the public morale. While Hoover and Smith were promising farm relief, flood relief, dry relief and other things—Rogers was actually pro- viding comic relief. Let this be said to Will's eternal credit: he neutralized the effect of Mabel Walker Willebrandt. Well, we don’t know what the verdict will be a week from next Tuesday. We don’t claim the election for our candi- date, the way the others are doing. The Literary Digest poll shows that Rogers is running quite a way behind Hoover and Smith, and Mr. Benchley’s personally con- ducted straw vote hasn’t produced much in the way of encouraging figures as yet. But no one, not even Dr. Work or Mr. Raskob, knows which way the GREAT SILENT VOTE is going to go, and we can claim this just as reasonably as the Republicans or Democrats can. Watch out for the GREAT SILENT VOTE. It includes all those who vote without bragging about it. Are you one of these? If so, you belong in the Anti-Bunk Party, and you will want a Rogers Cam- paign Button (not to wear, but to look at secretly). Send in your name to Rogers Campaign Headquarters, 598 Madison Avenue, New York City. Tue rirrH and last Rogers Radio Rally will be held next Wednesday night. You will find a complete announcement of the time, stations, etc., on page 36. eee Significant Results in Second Week of Our Own Straw Vote As explained in last week's by issue (Vol. 92. No. 2x. Robert Benchley People vs. Luther Ferk), we are working on a straw vote covering the entire nation, or at least some of it. This is done by a person-to-person canvass and vice versa, a system which results in the canvasser’s meeting a lot of interesting people and making enemies of them. The author of this article (Robert Benchley) goes up to voters on the street or in bed or wherever they happen to be and asks them certain questions, all beginning with “W." Most of this was explained in las week's issue and if you didn’t read it you missed a very funny piece and it serves you right. Following are the tabulations to date, with inferences to be drawn. Evetyone must draw his own inference (on one side of the paper only) and any cheating will simply be laughed at. Resutt or Straw Vote to Date (States shown covered with fur are nor mally Republican) Interview No. 5. 41 years old. White male. Is against Hoover because he is a Negro. Interview No. 6. 22 years old. White male. Mumbled so it was impossible to tell what he thought. Interview No.7. 45 years old. White female. Was at Lichy Lake all summer and didn’t like it as well as last summer, owing to the McDostys’ being there. The food was better than dose summer but the crowd not so nice as a whole. Heard 2 goed story the other day about a litle y who was asked by his teacher what a kangaroo was. Interview No. 8. This included sev- eral people, all of whom got mixed up 3s the interview proceeded. One person would start to talk and then it seemed as if it were an entirely different person talking. This went on for some time. Interview No. 14. (There were no i terviews numbered 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13.) Is for Hoover because Hoover has been President for eight years and knows the ropes. To put a new man in would be folly. Besides, Smith is so mixed up WI comicbooks.com